Brotherly Instincts
by dull.moonlight
Summary: Sirius is seven and Regulus is five. When their dad comes home mad as usual what will they do to comfort each other? And what sort of consequences will it bring?


**A/N: This is another Sirius/Regulus story. I've been in the mood for this brotherly love stuff, so...yeah. It's rated T for some of the language in paragraph 2. All charries belong to JKR...yadda yadda...and I like hot wings. Oh! If you enjoyed the first part of Abused, you'll probably enjoy this. Realize that Sirius is much different from the Sirius that we know and love at Hogwarts. Talk about him becoming a Death Eater is widely accepted. Also realize that he is only seven, and all of his comebacks and whatnot are those of a seven-year-old's. Please read and review! AND, without further ado, here it is!**

**_Brotherly Instincts_**

Sirius sat in his room, reading a book. He really had nothing better to do. His father had gone out to Sirius's uncle's house and his mother was doing something in the kitchen. She usually didn't like to be bothered by either of her sons. Sirius wondered vaguely when his father would come home and if he'd bring Sirius's oldest cousin Bellatrix. He really hoped his father wouldn't; Bellatrix didn't like him a lot, even if she did say that she was being nice. He didn't know how curses and hexes could be considered nice.

There was a slam of the door and a loud voice, his father's. Sirius put the book away knowing that his voice was not a happy one, and he'd never be able to concentrate on the words. He stretched out on his bed, his whole length a hair above average for a normal seven-year-old. Black hair partially veiled his grayish-blue eyes as he stared at the pillow in front of him. Trying to drown a bit of yelling out, he started to hum a random tune. Suddenly there was the sound of a rather loud yell, a shriek, and of glass shattering. Sirius heard his father's muffled voice from below him, "Stop throwing those damn plates, or I'll kill you, bitch!"

At that moment Sirius heard the door in the corridor that was across from his room open and shut. Five seconds later his five-year-old brother walked into his room and shut the door quietly. His large eyes mirrored his brother's eyes, but they were full of tears. Sirius glanced at Regulus and sat up. "Come here, Reggy. What's wrong?" he asked, letting his brother climb on top of the bed and cling to him. Sirius ruffled the younger boy's imitating hair and hugged him. "Is it Mother and Father?"

Regulus nodded and clung tighter to his older brother. Sirius put his chin on Regulus's head and stared at his blank wall. "You'll be okay, Reggy. We'll be okay. It's going to be over in just a little bit." He felt his eyes get hot as he wished that everything he said would be true. There had been times when their parents had been at it until midnight.

Sirius gently removed Regulus's head from his shoulder and, having dried his eyes first, looked his brother in the eye. He dried Regulus's face with his sleeve smiling sadly. "Reggy, tell me what we're going to do. Can you tell me that?"

"W-we're going to go to H-Hogwarts and- and- and get real sm-smart. When I get out y-you're going to get me and we're gonna become D-Death Eaters and..." He choked on his tears for a moment, but only paused for a second. "W-we're gonna get lots of money and live in the country." He sniffed and Sirius was glad to see that Regulus had calmed down a bit.

"That's right. What are we going to do after that?"

"We're gonna get some friends and make up a Quidditch Team." Sirius nodded and grinned at his brother. Of course, he knew the plan was complete rubbish, but that would ruin his brother's dream. It seemed that in times of pain, such as this, Regulus took a lot of comfort in the 'plan'. "Sirius," Regulus said after a moment of silence. "Sirius, why do they always fight? Why can't they get along like we do?"

Sirius hugged his brother. "It just isn't the way they are. You'll understand when you're older, I promise." He was going to say more but a loud bang sounded a little farther along the corridor. "Uh-oh," Sirius muttered to himself. "Reggy, maybe you should go back to your room. I think Mother and Father are going to come by and I think it would be safer if–" It was too late, for the voice of his father came from the end of the corridor.

"Goddamned picture! This thing is always falling down!" There was a rap of knuckles on the door of Regulus's room. "Boy! Come in here and pick up the picture, I'm busy!" There was silence, then large booms on the door opposite the door to Sirius's room. "Regulus! Did you hear me? I said..." He cut himself off and Sirius could make out a relatively quiet swear word. "Sirius!"

"Yes, Father?" Sirius called from his room.

"Where's Regulus? He hasn't gone out among the muggles, has he?"

"No, Father, he's in here with me." Sirius wrapped an arm across Regulus's chest protectively. "Hold on, Reggy. Don't be frightened, I'm here." Their father came into the room and sneered at his sons. He looked a lot like both of his sons, but he had brown eyes instead of grayish-blue, and he was much taller. His black hair was streaked with gray and he seemed better fed. Otherwise, the three males of the Black family looked very much alike.

"What's this?" he spat, crossing his arms. Sirius was quite scared, but he spoke up anyway.

"We... We were about to play chess, Father. I was going to teach Regulus how to–"

"Shut up!" Their father said in a burst of anger. "Regulus should be in his room, practicing how to read, and you should be reading your spell book. A year from now I will be teaching you how to perform magic and if you aren't prepared..." He trailed off.

"F-father," Regulus said, rather bravely, "I was j-just s-sc-scared that M-mother would..." He was quelled by the horrible look their father gave him.

"Regulus, go to your room!" he ordered.

"I- I want to stay with Sirius!" Regulus piped up, holding onto Sirius tightly.

"No, go to your room!" Instead of obeying their father, Regulus buried his head in Sirius's shirt. Before Sirius could tell him to go to his room and that everything would be okay, their father grabbed him. There was a cry as Regulus was torn away from Sirius and thrown to the floor. "_Go to your room!_" their father repeated forcefully. There was a sob from Regulus, now curled up on the floor. His father just gave his son another sneer and started toward him.

Sirius, acting braver than he felt, yelled, "Stay away from him!" He leapt off of his bed and ran in front of Regulus. "Stay away from him, you... you... bully!" Sirius's father slapped the older son with the back of his hand. Instantly feeling pain the seven-year-old had the natural urge to cry. He was distracted as their father tried to step nearer again. "NO! I said you stay away from him!" Sirius felt an iron strong grip clamp on his shoulders. The next thing he knew he'd been shoved sideways against a wall quite forcefully and out of the space between his younger brother and his father.

Through all the pain Sirius found it hard to stand up. He ran at his father and tried to tackle him. Being seven and not very strong, he only succeeded in moving his father a few inches. "_I hate you!_ Stay away from Reggy! Get away from my brother!" Sirius barely realized that he had tears streaming down his face or that he'd fallen to his knees. He turned his back to his father and looked at Regulus, who was curled into such a tight ball that one could barely pry him apart with a crowbar. Sirius shook him and said, "Reggy... Reggy, go to your room. Just go to your room." He sobbed along with his brother's muffled whimpers. Still, Regulus didn't move: he seemed unable to do so.

Their father, having lost the spark of a fight against two young children left the room, slamming the door behind him. Sirius felt himself relax a bit, letting his tears escape him. It took a few moments, but Regulus finally eased himself out of the position he'd been in and grabbed Sirius. They held tight and cried together on the floor of Sirius's room, just happy that neither of them had been seriously injured.


End file.
